Partitioning the Escape Key

[Denu.1874]

The escape key serves too many functions, and its been bothering me since the game came out. I have recently been looking to see if any updates/changes have been made to resolve this issue but as far as I can tell there is still no solution. Given that there are no apparent solutions, I propose my own: break apart the three main functions of the escape key.

 

The escape key's first and most important function is that it brings up the game menu. I propose no real change to this aspect of the escape key but the other two functions really do need their own _**rebindable**_ keys. These two secondary functions are: Clear Target and Cancel Action.

 

Both functions are extremely important when in combat - or at least I think so - and it sucks to use the escape key because if you press it one too many times it brings up the game menu... in the middle of combat... which annoys me to no end.

 

I have no idea if this change would be difficult to do or not, but it seems simple enough to me and would be a huge quality of life improvement.

[Linken.6345]

Cant say I ever use the esc key for either of those things bud, feels odd to strech pinky or ring finger that high up tbh.

[Denu.1874]

> @"Linken.6345" said:

> Cant say I ever use the esc key for either of those things bud, feels odd to strech pinky or ring finger that high up tbh.

 

Which is why I rebound one of the side buttons on my mouse to Esc for GW2. But even if you don't do something like that, wouldn't you want the option of binding a button of your choosing for Cancel Target and/or a Cancel Action? Or at least recognize that that is an option some might find useful?

[StinVec.3621]

I fully support this request as I have desired it since the first day GW2 launched.

 

I cannot fathom how Clear Target and Cancel Action were not able to be bound to their own keys from the very start as they are at least as important (I would say _more_ important) as jump and dodge are both in and out of combat. Beyond this, why they were bundled into the ESC key of all keys leaves me dumbfounded considering ESC should _only_ ever open and close the game menu in _any_ game. Hard-binding the key to perform a critical function that is crucial and commonly used both in and out of combat to the same key that opens the game menu is beyond logic.

 

Also to note, I use the arrow keys for movement so my pinky would need to be 14+ inches long to reach the ESC key. Not everyone uses the exact same keys in games, which is why I find it curious that they permit rebinding so many keys, including movement, but restrict these two critical functions to a key that is on the complete other side of the keyboard when using another common keyset for movement in games. Why permit us to rebind the movement keys to the right side of the keyboard at all if these critical functions are left hard-coded to the ESC key on the far left of the keyboard? As noted above, I also needed to manually rebind another key or two to also function as ESC just to compensate for this, though it only brings the key to nearby use and does not solve the issue of these active game functions being hard-coded to the Game Menu key.

[Lord Trejgon.2809]

since when you can use esc to clear target or cancel skill cast? O.o

 

(only functionalities of esc button I am aware off are game menu and closing opened menus)